More apartments coming to Marco Shores in Collier County near Marco Island Airport

J. Kyle Foster, Naples Daily News
·2 min read
Peninsula Engineering renderings of planned additional building for Mainsail Apartments near Marco Island Executive Airport, about three miles south of Marco Island.
Peninsula Engineering renderings of planned additional building for Mainsail Apartments near Marco Island Executive Airport, about three miles south of Marco Island.

Naples developer SK Holdings Real Estate LLC received unanimous approval from Collier County commissioners this week to build more apartments in Marco Shores on Mainsail Drive, about three miles north of Marco Island.

SK Holdings opened Mainsail Apartments with 100 units in 2022 adjacent to the Marco Island Executive Airport. It will now build another 90 units on connecting property even closer to the airport.

“We think 90 additional market rate units has value in an area that has a lack or a shortage within housing choices," Collier County Planning Director Mike Bosi told commissioners.

The company needed an amendment to the existing Marco Shores Planned Unit Development (PUD), which covers about 315 acres. The PUD, which includes the JW Marriott-owned Hammock Bay Golf & Country Club, several condo complexes, the airport and the existing apartments, was amended to increase density to 5.3 units per acre from 5 units per acre to allow for 1,670 units, up from the original 1,580.

Discussion about the project included a request by neighbors living on Mainsail Drive that SK Holdings pay to landscape the bare medians that line the road – something promised by previous developer WCI Communities Inc., which bought what was then Marco Shores Country Club in 2002 and filed for bankruptcy protection in 2008.

The county planning commission in October told the developer to meet with neighbors, county planners and the airport authority to try to negotiate a plan for landscaping.

"An agreement was not made in advance of today," said Noel Davies, attorney for SK Holdings. "Their ask was that my client landscape the median for the lion's share of Mainsail Drive. … My client is not willing to do that," but is willing to participate.

Representatives from communities on Mainsail Drive attended Tuesday's meeting and repeated their request that SK Holdings be made to landscape the medians, even if just half of the road. Commissioners said they can't make the developer do that.

Jonathan Kassolis, SK Holdings president, told commissioners he will put up extra money plus the apartments' tax-based share with the creation of a municipal service tax unit – MSTU.

Jonathan Kassolis, president and chief executive officer of Naples-based SK Holdings Real Estate LLC.
Jonathan Kassolis, president and chief executive officer of Naples-based SK Holdings Real Estate LLC.

An MSTU lets communities pay extra tax that will add up and pay for the landscaping and upkeep. An advisory group of Mainsail Drive taxpayers would work with the county to create a plan and pay for it.

Kassolis agreed to start with $50,000 seed money if and when an MSTU is petitioned for by Mainsail taxpayers and approved by county commissioners. He would then contribute his share of the fair market value of the two apartment buildings.

"We want to be a good neighbor," he said. "We would want everybody to participate.''

Earlier: Marco Shores apartment developer wants to build more units; neighbors want landscaping

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: More apartments coming to Marco Shores near Marco Airport